Digging Up Roots to Love Better
In the last three years, our district has done a deep dive into helping staff across the district unravel implicit and explicit biases as author Pragya Agarwal, of the book Sway: Unraveling unconscious bias, proposes. Our district has strongly encouraged staff to become a part of the Justice Leaders Collaborative, a platform for social justice education, training, and coaching for individuals, organizations, schools, and universities. [1]
Following a recent training, a few actionable implementation items were offered for staff to work on in the coming weeks leading up to Part 2 of the follow-up training. Here are the actionable items:
ACTIONABLE IMPLEMENTATION
- Model using pronouns as a common practice and explain the complexity of inclusion/equity
- Utilize the social identities list to audit your own practices (and the practices at your school) for equity
- Spend more time learning about and reflecting on your social identities that are privileged in systems of oppression and excavate your implicit/unconscious bias
- Learn more about the social identities of your students and their families so you can accurately provide windows and mirrors for all children.
One actionable item that I chose to focus on was “learn more about the social identities of the students and their families so you can accurately provide windows and mirrors for all children.” In my work as an instructional coach, I also work with students to support with Tier 2 instructional needs in the area of literacy. The majority of the students I have the privilege to work with are multilingual students and students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. When we access materials to support their instructional needs, I am looking for nonfiction to engage with their interests and build vocabulary acquisition but also books that are windows and mirrors.
The notion that classroom curriculum should serve as windows and mirrors for students was first coined by educator Emily Styles in 1988. It was in 1990 when children’s literature researcher, Rudine Sims Bishop, wrote about “windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors” as it relates specifically to children’s books. [2] Sims Bishop suggests that books should serve as windows into the experiences of others, rather than solely presenting imaginary worlds. Additionally, she emphasizes that books can function as mirrors, reflecting the lives and experiences of readers themselves. “Sliding glass doors” represents the concept of readers stepping into a story and seamlessly integrating themselves into the world crafted by the author. This immersion allows readers to fully engage with and experience another reality.
Research on children’s books reveals overrepresentation of white characters, comprising anywhere from half to 90 percent of the illustrations, while characters from Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC – pronounced “bye-pock”) communities are depicted in only about 10 percent of illustrations or less, with certain ethnic and racial groups appearing as little as 1 percent. Similarly, analyses of textbooks show that European White Americans are prominently featured in over half of pictorials and illustrations, often exceeding 80 percent, whereas representation of BIPOC communities is notably lower, sometimes as low as 1 percent. Not to mention that differently abled children, or referred to by some as children with physical challenges or disabilities, are also underrepresented from many children’s books and curriculum materials. [3]
Approaching children’s stories through the lens of windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors, helps educators get an understanding into the diversity and cultures represented in literature. This approach to evaluating the content of children’s literature is not new, however in recent years it has been a controversial topic, especially around CRT – Culturally Responsive Teaching (included in Critical Race Theory).
In our reading this week, Pragya Agarwal delves into the intricacies of unconscious bias and its profound impact on decision-making, relationships, and society as a whole. Through engaging research findings and personal experiences, Agarwal navigates through the subtle ways in which biases shape our perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors. I was particularly interested in educator Jane Elliot’s social experiment in her third grade class, noting how environmental cues can shape biases and reinforce in-group memberships. [4]
The book explores various forms of bias, including racial, gender, age, and cognitive biases, shedding light on how they operate beneath our awareness, influencing our judgments and actions. Agarwal elucidates the psychological mechanisms behind biases, revealing how they are often rooted in social conditioning, stereotypes, and cultural norms. As I read, I found it beneficial to uncover where possible roots of unconscious biases have been formed in me. Then considering my own biases, pause and reflect on them. I also thought about narratives in the scriptures where unconscious biases were revealed (either by cultural norms expressed by the Pharisees, disciples and people in the narrative) and Jesus’ response to them. . . Jesus heals the man with leprosy (Matthew 9:1-4), the Samaritan woman (John 4), Jesus and Nicodemus (John 2:23-3:21), the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11), Jesus anointed by a sinful woman (Luke 7:37-50). Jesus’ example is another window (primary window) into uncovering the roots of my own biases so that I can love people better, which is the most important actionable implementation step for me to take.
Early in the book Agarwal states, “Each of us form and carry unconscious bias of some sort. . . . so really the answer is to go to the roots, to understand the processes that shape us, to be aware, to acknowledge that we are all biased to a certain degree.” [5]
[1] Justice Leaders Collaborative, https://www.justiceleaderscollaborative.com/
[2] Rudine Sims Bishop, originally appeared in Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books in the Classroom. Vo. 6, no. 3. Summer 1990, https://scenicregional.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Mirrors-Windows-and-Sliding-Glass-Doors.pdf
[3] Amanda Armstrong, “A Troubling Lack of Diversity in Educational Materials”, Edutopia; March 9, 2022, accessed March 14, 2024,
https://www.edutopia.org/article/troubling-lack-diversity-educational-materials/
[4] Pragya Agarwal, Sway: Unravelling Unconscious Bias. 1st ed, (London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2020), 39.
[5] Ibid, 22.
About the Author
Cathy Glei
Cathy Glei serves as an instructional leader and pastor with over 27 years in education and ministry. She is dedicated to discipling others as they grow in their relationship with God, others and the world. Cathy has facilitated numerous professional development sessions, trainings, and workshops in both education and ministry. Passionate about supporting others in uncovering the Creator's design within them, Cathy lives in Michigan with her husband, Steve, and their eight-year-old Springer Spaniel, Otis. Cathy is a mother of three daughters and "Gooma" (grandma) to two adorable grandsons (emphasis on adorable 😊). She enjoys listening and exchanging laughter and stories with others, hanging out with friends, both old and new, as well as being outdoors, enjoying activities such as cycling, camping, hiking, and kayaking.3 responses to “Digging Up Roots to Love Better”
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Hi Cathy,
You wrote, ” As I read, I found it beneficial to uncover where possible roots of unconscious biases have been formed in me.”
As a baby boomer, I wonder if my biases are a product of a “less sensitive” generation. I wonder if the microaggression trend is a first world problem? Or is it a global issue that manifests itself as a product of the fall…I don’t quite know.
In my research I found this.
Scott O. Lilienfeld, “Microaggressions: Strong Claims, Inadequate Evidence,” Perspectives on Psychological Science 12, no. 1 (January 1, 2017): 138–69, https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691616659391.
A snippet…. Lilienfeld says microaggression researchers have largely ignored the role of negative emotionality. Negative emotionality (NE) is “a pervasive temperamental disposition to experience aversive emotions of many kinds, including anxiety… hostility, irritability, and perceived victimization” (Lilienfeld, 2017, p. 153). Persons with high levels of NE tend to be vigilant, judgmental, and prone to interpreting ambiguous stimuli in a negative light.
He also, “calls for a moratorium on microaggression training programs and publicly distributed microaggression lists pending research to address the MRP’s scientific limitations.
SURPRISE….
The pendulum swings ever wildly.
Shalom…
Hi Cathy,
You mentioned how books can be windows, sliding doors, and mirrors for reflecting the diverse experiences of others. What are your children’s book recommendations?
Hi Cathy!
I enjoy reading the thoughts and knowledge you put into your posts. It’s very interesting when you try to apply it to your life. You wrote, “As I read, I found it beneficial to uncover where possible roots of unconscious biases have been formed in me. Then considering my own biases, pause and reflect on them.”
Based on your experience, what experiences related to bias are most valuable and help you to become a Christian who increasingly has a positive view of others?
Thank you!